Mahan Igniting UK Offense in Lexington Regional

The Kentucky baseball team was fighting for its postseason life on Sunday. The Wildcats faced a win-or-go-home scenario in the afternoon game of the NCAA Baseball Tournament’s Lexington Regional against Indiana at Cliff Hagan Stadium.

And when the Wildcats needed offense, Riley Mahan was there to provide it. Kentucky’s second baseman had four hits, including a monster grand slam home run to right-center field, as the Cats topped the Hoosiers 14-9.

Mahan, a junior from Cincinnati, knocked in a total of five runs and scored twice in the win, which kept Kentucky alive in the postseason and moved the Wildcats into the regional final against N.C. State.

In Sunday night’s game, Mahan was at it again. He reached base four different ways, with a single, a walk, a hit-by-pitch and an N.C. State error. In the process, Mahan knocked in two more runs, and stole a base as the Wildcats staved off elimination for another game, beating the Wolfpack 8-6.

Despite his big effort on Sunday, Mahan was quick to credit his team rather than himself.

“I think if you look at today as a whole, if it doesn’t define Kentucky baseball to you then you need to take another look at our team,” Mahan said. “Today was awesome for many reasons and we had a lot guys do a lot of great things. Our offense all year has been relentless. I’m just so proud of the way they battled and you know they put really good at bats together and we grinded pitchers out. We did what we always do and we came out with two Ws today.”

Kentucky head coach Nick Mingione knows that Mahan’s present is outstanding, but that his future is even brighter.

“Riley’s going to be a great draft pick and I don’t envision him being on our team (next) year,” Mingione said. “At the beginning of the semester, I told Riley, ‘You’re about to have the greatest semester academically of your life, because this will be the last time you’re going to be here while I’m the head coach.’ “

Mingione is also proud of how Mahan has developed off the field.

“The teammate he’s been, the person and the player he’s become is really neat. It’s been really fun to watch him (play),” Mingione said. “I’ll always evaluate our guys in that area, as a Student-Person-Player, and, man, has he grown in every one immensely and it brings great joy because that’s why I coach.”

Mahan has been a key cog in the Kentucky offense during the regional. He is 9-for-16 (.563) in Kentucky’s four games in the Lexington Regional, with 11 runs batted in. Mahan now has 67 RBIs this season, the sixth-most in any season in UK history. 

Mahan has also raced up the Kentucky career hits leaderboard. He now has 169 career knocks, which is 24th in school history, and just one short of current Miami Marlin J.T. Riddle, who had 170 hits during his UK career.

Kentucky and N.C. State will meet in a winner-take-all regional title game on Monday night at the Cliff, and the Wildcats will have a chance to win the first regional in school history. If they do, it would be the first regional championship in school history. And if Kentucky is to win, Mahan will likely have a big part in the offensive effort.